APPLICATIONS are now being invited to a new round of Belfast City Council’s Vacant to Vibrant Citywide – the grant programme which aims to breathe a wave of creative and business life into the city’s arterial routes.
£700k in capital funding is now available – £500k from the Department for Communities and £200k from Belfast City Council – to incentivise and support property owners and potential occupiers to bring vacant properties back into use in local neighbourhoods.
Successfully piloted in Belfast city centre, the citywide funding is already transforming vacant properties into new homes for businesses and organisations on arterial routes.
The first round of 24 Vacant to Vibrant Citywide grants are resulting in approximately 83 direct employment opportunities being created, and for every £1 invested through Vacant to Vibrant Citywide, at least £1.79 is estimated to be returned in rates income over the term of the leases.
It’s anticipated that a further 35 businesses and organisations will now be supported to revitalise the city’s arterial routes with this new round of Vacant to Vibrant Citywide funding.
Belfast City Council have held a series of workshop sessions across the city providing key information on the scheme. The West Belfast session took place on Tuesday morning with a record number of enquiries calling into the West Belfast Partnership Board premises on the Falls Road.
Joe Duffy from WBPB said: “It is great to see so many businesses, organisations and individuals calling in today to get more information on the Vacant to Vibrant scheme. This key initiative has been extremely successful locally here in West Belfast at supporting organisations to transform unused spaces into vibrant hubs, shops and businesses.
“The grant provides up to £25,000 of support as well as key support from officers along the process.
“We hope the information session has been helpful and wish everyone who has made an enquiry luck through the process.”
